


One More

by enigmaticma



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Murder, Near Death Experiences, Period-Typical Homophobia, Tags Contain Spoilers, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21851968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticma/pseuds/enigmaticma
Summary: On Jongdae's eighteenth birthday, the kid will realize the trail in front of his window lead to a whole history his soul had carried on, just because he loved the Wind spirit.Based on the snow flake#18: "The footsteps on the snow were there every day (new ones?), despite the constant precipitation that erased everything else overnight. He was intrigued."
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Oh Sehun
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41
Collections: Round 3: Autumn and Winter - On the Snow





	One More

**Author's Note:**

> Please a round of applause to my beta who did put up with me the entire time, thank you Liz Wilson, I appreciate your efforts.

The first time Jongdae noticed the visible trail of stealthy footsteps in front of his room's window, he was ten. He didn't think much of it, since his rusty shutters were always shut in the morning, and he thought his father walked out to secure them at night for whatever reason. 

He grew up with that idea until one day, on his eighteenth birthday, the shutters weren't closed when he woke up. 

His initial thought was that his father wasn't home the night before, but when he left his room, he discovered his father already eating breakfast. The old man looked at him with a smile. "I see you didn't fasten the window last night as usual."

Jongdae looked at his father in shock. "I thought you were the one closing the shutters." a moment of silence passed, and they looked at Jong deok, Jongdae's brother, who shook his head in confusion. Jongdae whined and stamped his feet, groaning that his father wasn't funny. His father uttered an unpleasant laugh, but the look he exchanged with his wife worried Jongdae. 

Jongdae returned to his room. He unlocked the window, and looked down to see a trail of small, pale flowers. They smelled great in the fierce, cold September, and Jongdae's mind instantly relaxed, as he cautiously climbed out of the window to follow the trail. 

He noticed the trail stop at the edge of a modest house’s backyard in his neighborhood. The houses between the house that he discovered and his own had been empty for ages, as the neighborhood was far from most facilities, so most people had moved out. 

Jongdae's father positively refused to abandon the well-kept house for sentimental reasons, so they remained in the abandoned neighborhood, meaning Jongdae didn't expect to see anyone living around them. 

The house looked modern and full of life. The backyard garden was full of snow white flowers, vast trees, and a pair of swings. He sat in one of the swings, and waited attentively for someone to show up, too terrified to knock on the door.

He remained there until he heard his name being yelled in the distance, and ran back home. His father looked genuinely terrified. "Where did you go? "He nearly slapped Jongdae in his fury, but fortunately Jong deok stopped that from happening.

Jongdae uttered nothing as they went inside. He enjoyed a normal birthday, despite the earlier terror. His father requested that he sleeps in the guestroom that night, but Jongdae just smiled, and went to bed.

He had no school the next day, so he pushed himself to stay up - a remarkable achievement his sleep-loving body hated - until the person who closes the shutters showed up. He kept his eyes hidden behind his sleek, black hair, curled up under his bedsheets, when he heard it. 

It was a noise made by the wind. Something like a howl slipped through the window, and soon Jongdae noticed an impressive figure approaching carefully. Jongdae tensed as the window made a noise, and he instantly closed his eyes in fear. 

The window was wide open, as the stranger had undoubtedly noticed, judging by how he suddenly heard steady footsteps. The stranger was inside his room. Jongdae was prepared to scream at anytime. The man sat carefully on the small space Jongdae had left on his bed, and gently brushed his fingers through Jongdae's flowing hair.

"Happy Birthday," a voice spoke with such sadness that Jongdae wanted to open his eyes and speak. "I’m sorry I didn't come yesterday. I was looking for a gift to give you." Jongdae realized the stranger didn't sound old at all. A sound from the top of his nightstand startled Jongdae, and he flinched, hoping the man didn't note his reaction. 

The stranger finally moved, and Jongdae dared to cautiously open his eager eyes to properly look at whoever was in his room. He managed to see a slim, tall figure with raven black hair and marble white skin, wearing black clothes. Jongdae observed in shock how the man carefully closed the windows and shutters without even touching them. It was magic. Jongdae was sure it was magic, but he quickly fell asleep before he could think about it any further.

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was a box on his nightstand. It was nicely wrapped in a white linen sheet. He carefully opened it, scared despite his sleepy, not-very-functional mind, and noticed it was a music box.

In it was written the initials O. S., and Jongdae wondered what they could mean. Was it a family name? His name was Kim Jongdae, therefore it would have to be K. J. in it for them to be his. 

He carefully opened the music box to find a ballerina, spinning around as instrumental music filled the room. The song wasn't something he’d heard before, but the familiarity was striking. He loved the song instantly. He gently set it aside, and promptly went on with his day as normal. He didn't tell his father, or anyone else, about the man. 

He wasn't sure of what he saw precisely. 

The man showed up at night, and again, Jongdae stayed awake. He instantly noticed the man standing by the window for a while, before closing the shutters. He did the same for several more nights, and Jongdae wondered what would happen if he did wait for the man to show up.

Eagerly, he gathered his courage, and decided to see what would happen, and turned on the music box, waiting for the man to arrive. The stranger showed up at exactly the same time as the previous nights, but instead of closing the windown he opened , he just stood there. 

Jongdae looked at him, and sat up. The stranger looked younger than what Jongdae had imagined. He was so handsome, too. "Who is the O. S. whose name is written in the box?" Jongdae asked, but the stranger simply shut the shutters,"Answers me!" he called through the shutters.

He sighed, thinking the stranger had left, but before he could move, he heard a sniffing sound. "You promised you would remember me," a voice whispered, "You promised you would remember me, hyung." Jongdae didn't say anything as he heard the stranger run away.

Jongdae for once had a sleepless night. 

His following nights went without him seeing the man. Jongdae had school, so he spent less time at home, and once he was in his room, he would almost fall asleep with his clothes on, only to wake up, tucked in, with his pajamas on, and the room dark. 

He didn't think much of it for days, until he found out that it wasn't his mother who did everything. The stranger was tucking him into bed.

It made his cheeks burn, and he forced himself to change, and sleep properly since. He didn't know what to do with the information he now has. 

"A penny for your thoughts?" Chanyeol, Jongdae’s classmate, approached him during his self study session. Jongdae simply smiled at him in response. "You seriously look exhausted, dude. What’s up?"

Jongdae weighed his options about how much he should tell Chanyeol, and realized that telling the truth would get him nowhere. "I found a music box with someone’s initials on it, and I’m wondering how I can find the owner." Chanyeol looked surprised. "it’s been bothering me for days now."

"Oh, you think it’s stolen?" Jongdae frowned. The box was in good shape. It might not be stolen, but he may get answers, if he tries looking for the owner. He nodded. "Maybe give it to the police?"

"I will," Jongdae said, lying through his teeth, "Thank you, Yeol." Chanyeol flashed him a happy grin, and their discussion drifted to a different topic. Once home, Jongdae went to the window.

Autumn had covered the ground with dead leaves, yet the trail of flowers was still clear. He followed it to the house, and sat by the swings. He waited and waited, until the stranger who always came to his room at night opened the back door. 

He looked surprised that Jongdae was there, and stood where he was for a while, before joining Jongdae on the other swing. They said nothing, swinging silently until Jongdae somehow fell asleep. 

He woke up in his bed, tucked in, and with his pajamas on. It scared him for a moment, until a thought crossed his mind. Why the stranger was doing so much for him? Why did he tuck Jongdae in? Why did he close his shutters and window every night? It couldn’t make any sense of it, so he used his Saturday afternoon, the only time he could escape the house without raising his parents suspicions, to go back to the house. He faced the house’s front door, and knocked. He had knocked six times, when the stranger opened the door. He smiled gently. "I expected you would come."

"You did?" Jongdae was taken aback, and the stranger only wanted him to get in the house, which he did. The house was modest, nothing out of the ordinary, and smelled good. "It smells like pies."

"I made you two." The stranger smiled sweetly, and Jongdae was both weirded out and at ease. He smiled as he followed the man to the kitchen. Two pies were indeed sitting on the table. "I also brewed tea and have juice, so pick whatever you’d like."

Jongdae felt his heart warm up. "Can I really?"

The stranger nodded, amused. "I know you would come over after last night." The man cut a huge slice of pie, and served it to Jongdae. "I figured you would have a lot of questions you’d want answered."

Jongdae took a bite of the pie, nodding. "I have tons." he said before moaning happily. "This is so tasty."

The man smiled softly. "O.S. stands for Oh Sehun," Jongdae looked up. "Which is my name."

Jongdae blinked. "Oh," he was terribly confused "why did you give it to me?"

Sehun had a distant smile as he took a slice of pie. "I didn't have any good gift ideas," Sehun said evasively. "And it was from my 18th birthday, a gift from someone I loved with all my heart, a very long time ago." Jongdae looked at him curiously, he had no idea what that had to do with him. “I thought it was a great gift for your birthday.” Sehun fidgeted, and Jongdae could have thought he was a kid, if not for how long the man had been closing those damn shutters.

“Well,” Jongdae smiled kindly at the man, who seemed taken aback for a second. “It was a beautiful music box, thank you.” Jongdae focused on his slice of pie, and Sehun remained silent. He finished eating, and looked up to see Sehun observing him, a heavy look of sadness on his face.

“I like your smile.” Sehun commented, “It reminds me of my boyfriend.” Jongdae shot him a shocked glance, before brushing it off. He may have meant a friend who is a boy, nothing off. “Do you have a boyfriend, Jongdae?”

Jongdae looked at him in shock again. “You know my name,” Sehun chuckled “How?”

“Your parents yell it whenever you allegedly do something naughty, or hide in your garden.” Jongdae felt his face heat up, flustered. “I’ve heard it many times already.” Jongdae looked down to his hands, but a hand on his chin made him look back up. “You are quite an energetic kid.”

“Yeah,” Jongdae even blushed more. “How were you as a kid?”

Sehun frowned, looking ahead absently for a moment. “I don’t remember. It was a long time ago.” Jongdae didn’t push, but he also couldn’t say anything as Sehun looked down to him, “my boyfriend’s name was also Jongdae, by the way. He and I were the best couple in town. We used to be inseparable.”

The pause that followed was heavy, and Jongdae felt it more when Sehun’s hand left his chin. He felt at a loss. “What happened?” Sehun’s eyes were soon filled with tears, and Jongdae regretted his question, “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have asked-”

“They mercilessly killed him. ” Jongdae felt a dreadful shiver run down his spine. “They said our love was forbidden, and falsely accused him of spoiling me, because I was Christian, and he was the son of a shaman, so they viciously murdered him.” Sehun started crying with the most heartbroken look Jongdae had ever seen. He felt like holding Sehun in his arms, but he could only watch as Sehun swallowed nervously, drying his remaining tears. “ That was a long time ago though, and I am…” 

The air around them got stiff, and Jongdae suddenly felt the urge to leave. “I need to go.” Sehun nodded, packing a slice of pie for him to take. “I will come back tomorrow?” Sehun looked at him, surprised but still nodded happily.

His return home went smoothly, and he spent his day in his room trying to make sense of what he just experienced. He turned on the music box again, when he noticed a small compartment hidden in the back of the box. He pulled it open only to find a necklace with a very odd pendant in the form of two angel wings wrapping around a pearl. He had an urge to wear it, and he did, letting the cold metal rest against his burning skin.

That night, he had a weird dream. He was in a cloud, sitting on the edge of it. “Can I sit next to you?” He looked up to see Sehun approach him slowly, shyness written on his face.

“Sehun ah! Come here, babe.” Jongdae didn’t recognize his own voice in the dream, but Sehun was so familiar. He approached Jongdae with eagerness, and a smile Jongdae had never seen; He looked completely in love. “You know, I’ve been thinking,”

“About what?” Sehun looked at him with a cute expression that made Jongdae feel warm.

“I was thinking that we should leave.” Jongdae smiled at Sehun’s confused look. “Run away. Find a place of our own. Live together for eternity.”

Sehun brightened up like a christmas tree, and hugged Jongdae tightly. “I would love to.” 

The image faded, becoming in a house, a very familiar house. “Jongdae,” Jongdae turned to see Sehun with a terrified look on his face. “They are coming for you. They plan to kill you. My father is-”

“Sehun,” Jongdae held Sehun’s hands, and smiled. “You know, I always believed that I was with you in my past lives, and I’m certain that I’ll see you in the next one too. No matter what, we will meet again.”

Sehun looked devastated. “No, hyung, I don’t want to wait for another life! I want you to live with me now! I love you!”

Sehun’s words gave Jongdae some peace as he smiled. “I love you too,” Sehun hugged him, sobbing bitterly. “I love you so much that in our next life, I’ll remember you as soon as I see you.”

“You promise?” Sehun whimpered painfully. “Do you promise to remember me?” Jongdae hummed, but said nothing as dark figures rushed in, pulling them apart. “Jongdae! No, please! Appa please, don’t kill him! Jongdae!” Sehun screamed as he got further and further. Jongdae realized he was the one being pulled out of the house. “Jongdae! Please! No, Jongdae! Let him go!”

A gunshot was heard, and Jongdae woke up from his dream with a racing heart. He had no idea what he had seen, and a wild thought crossed his mind. What if he relived memories of his last life? “Impossible,” he shook his head as sleep left his eyes. “it was a dream. Just a dream.” 

He went to school early that day, burdened, when he noticed Chanyeol in his seat. He was about to say something, but the scenery changed completely, and Chanyeol was sitting with Sehun on a bench outdoors. They seemed to be arguing.

“He’s not good for you, Sehun! He is the son of a witch, a worshiper of the devil!” Sehun stood at that, and Chanyeol looked mildly shocked.

“The only devil worshiper here is you,” he left Chanyeol only to see Jongdae standing, his face morphing from anger to shock. “Jongdae?” Jongdae blinked, and noticed Chanyeol wave at him confusedly.

“You’re early today,” Chanyeol smiled to him kindly, which contrasted what he had seen. Jongdae simply smiled back, and sat by his side.

“I woke up early today,” Jongdae commented, as he picked up his textbook. The discussion drifted to schoolwork and so on, but Jongdae couldn’t shake Sehun from his mind, or the dream he had.

You promised you would remember me, Hyung.

For a moment, he thought he was going insane because those words spoken on his birthday meant that Sehun recognized him first. Jongdae felt as if someone was squeezing his heart through his ribcage, and he ran to Sehun’s house as soon as he got off the bus. He was exhausted, but needed answers. The house was empty when he got in, and he stood right where he was in the last portion of the dream. He looked at the house with an emotion he couldn’t define. “Jongdae?” he looked back to a familiar scene. Sehun looked at him in shock, but soon his expression eased. “What are you doing here?” 

“How old are you?” Jongdae asked him darkly, “Hfor how long have you been alive? What are you really? A ghost? A demon?” Sehun looked at him taken aback. “You came to my house, everyday, for eighteen years., and I know you did.” 

“I was ten when I first saw you.” Sehun commented, absentmindedly, approaching him, holding a distant expression on his face, “You were barely two years old, and I remembered you. I remembered everything about you.” Jongdae looked away, feeling as if he had trapped himself in a box, and it was starting to shrinking, “Every night, I would go to your room, tuck you into bed, and close the window.” 

“For sixteen years, you did that for sixteen years,” Jongdae choked on his sobs, “and I don’t know, if I remember or not,” a hand on his cheek made him look up. “I don’t remember you. I promised, but I don’t.” 

Sehun looked hurt despite the smile. “It’s okay, you are here now. It doesn’t matter anymore.” Jongdae shook his head fraenetically, holding onto Sehun, and shedding tears of confusion. “All that matters now is that you get to live a better life than the previous ones.” 

“With you?” Jongdae looked up to meet Sehun’s eyes. “Will you be there?” 

Sehun had a sad expression. “I’ am afraid I can’t,” Sehun caressed Jongdae’s cheek. “I will only lose you again.”

Jongdae shook his head frenetically, “Nno, no, Sehun, we can. There are countries now that allow gay marriage, we can escape and live there. We canwill be happy and together,” Sehun smiled, and pulled the frenetic Jongdae close., “We can try again.”

“You said you don’t remember,” Sehun commented after a while, “but your heart does.,” Jongdae held him tightly, “Yyou remember the wish you had. The wish to take me away.” Jongdae decided to tell him about the dream. He wasn’t sure if it was real or not.

“Sehun ah,” Sehun shifted at the call, and let Jongdae go. “I had a dream last night,” Sehun blinked at him cutely. “It was all strange, but I remember you came through got from this door, and you told me to leave because someone was they planning to kill me. You said your Appa wanted me dead.” Sehun looked terrified at the memory, stepping back. “You were crying my name as they dragged me out of the house, and then there was a gunshot…”

Sehun slammed his hands over his ears. “No. Please, stop.” Jongdae empathy for Sehun, and held his hands, nodding. Sehun held his cheeks, and rested his head on Jongdae’s. “You should go home, Jongdae. One day, we will be together, butnot today.”

Jongdae frowned, “I am coming back.” 

“Please do,” Sehun smiled as he did let go of Jongdae, who could only run back home, with a sparkling hope in his heart. 

He went to bed, and as soon as he fell asleep, surprisingly, he had another dream. He was in a garden of small, white flowers, laying down when a man approached him. “You know you can’t be with him.” 

“Who are you to tell me that?” Jongdae was surprised by his own anger as he spit the words out. “You don’t know what you are saying, Minseok hyung.” 

“You are a guardian of the winter, just like me, Jongdae,” Minseok knelt down to meet Jongdae’s eyes. “Being with a guardian of spring will only hurt you. Sehun belongs to Kyungsoo, just like you belong to Suho.”

“I belong to no one but Sehun!” Jongdae stood up, shaking with anger. “I will be with him even if it means I will die every single time I touch his hand. I will be with him even if God himself refuse our love.” Minseok gasped in terror, trying to cover Jongdae’s mouth with his hands,and looking around frantically. Jongdae pushed him away. “Don’t try to shut me down, hyung. I hoped you at least would understand me!” 

“I do! But you can’t go against the will of God, it will only end up hurting you forever.” Minseok held his shoulders. “We are Guardians, Jongdae, immortal souls bearing a purpose and a power. If we abandon our missions, it will only lead toeternal pain and despair. God is forgiving, Jongdae, but you are being too disrespectful to his mercy.” 

Jongdae felt his tears well in his eyes, “What mercy it is if I can’t be with Sehun? All I want is to be with him, Hyung. I love him so much,” Jongdae felt arms wrap around him, and he sobbed in Minseok’s hold. “Why can’t our love have some mercy? I just- I love him so much.” 

Minseok patted his back softly. “As long as we are guarding the tree of life it will not be possible, but I am sure God will show you more mercy someday.” Jongdae cried,realizing that as long as they remained there, God will never show his love for Sehun any mercy.

Jongdae woke up from the dream confused, but said nothing about it to anyone as he went to school, had a normal day and went back home. 

The next night’s dream was even more confusing. He saw Sehun in traditional dress, long black hair done up nicely He looked at Jongdae with a huge smile before bowing. “Your majesty, I am honored to see you tonight.” 

“How are you doing my dear Sehun?” Jongdae realized he sounded older. “I hope the court issues aren’t too much for you to handle.” 

Sehun smiled kindly. “You honor me with your worry, your majesty, but I am handling my duties perfectly fine, thank you for asking.” A hand made Sehun look up, and his expression softened. “On a lighter note, how are you feeling, your majesty?” 

“Better now that I’ve seen you. Will you be joining me in my quarters tonight?” Sehun nodded with an eagerness that made Jongdae smile. He walked away from Sehun, and into a vast room, letting himself be dress up in preparation for the night. He sat in bed waiting. He did wait until dawn, when a soldier rushed in, looking distressed. 

“Your majesty! Your royal Councillor Oh was found dead by your quarters.” Jongdae stood in shock. He tried not to show emotions, but it was so hard.

“Who dares to soil my quarters? Killing my councillors? The audacity! Call the guards, find who did it, and have them killed.” He ordered angrily. Awoman entered as the soldier left. Silence settled in the room, heavy as a rock. “You did it, didn’t you?” The woman said nothing as Jongdae approached her, meeting her blue eyes. “Answer me, Suho!” 

The woman scoffed. “No, I don’t need to do anything of the sort. I am here to protect you Jongdae. We are the guardians of the winter, brothers with the same mission. Hurting you is not part of my plan.” Jongdae gasped as he stepped back, letting his tears run down his face. “You have to live with the loss, Jongdae.” 

“Can I see Sehun one last time?” Jongdae sounded as pitiful as he felt. A hand on his shoulder made him look back to the woman who nodded and walked out. Maidens came to change him back into his usual attire and, he walked, with his head held high, until he faced the body of Sehun, still sitting in a puddle of his ownblood. If it wasn’t for the woman’s sudden appearance, he would have wailed in agony.

He woke up screaming from his dream, and soon his mother ran into his room, terrified. “Jongdae? Are you okay?” 

“I had a nightmare.” Jongdae whimpered as she sat in front of him. She nodded as his face morphed with pain, and she hugged him. “It was such a bad nightmare, Mom.”

“It’s okay. It’s over now.” Jongdae shook his head sadly. It will never be over. She asked him to join her in making breakfast, so he did. Once he was done helping, he told her he would leave for school early, walking instead of taking the bus.Instead, he went straight to the house where he knew Sehun would be, entering through the backyard. 

The backdoor was wide open, and he immediately heard voice when he stepped inside. His steps were light,almost soundless, so no one heard him from where they stood in the kitchen talking. “This has to end, Sehun.” The voice spoke firmly. “I’ve tried to reason with you and every time you do exactly the opposite of what I say. Whose turn will be this time?” 

Sehun sighed as he faced his friend, who was way shorter than him. “Kyungsoo, you don’t understand.”

“I do, but I also know that if you really were meant to be together, you wouldn’t be trapped in a loop where you die and are reincarnated only to die again. You haven’t lived together once! You keep dying, and yet you keep trying. Sehun, when are you going to stop!” 

Sehun looked utterly devastated from where Jongdae stood. “I love him, Soo. Please.” 

“The tree of life would have given you its blessing if you were meant to be together, Sehun. I am sorry, but this is how it has to be.” Kyungsoo had a soft tone in his voice. “You know I understand how you feel. You're not the only one suffering from a forbidden love, but I gave up fighting.” Sehun was shaking as Kyungsoo held his hands. “The tree needs its guardians back. You have to give up on Jongdae and pledge your loyalty to it, before it’s too late.” 

Sehun shook his head, “I can’t give up on Jongdae. I could never.” 

“Sehun,” Kyungsoo pulled Sehun to a hug, and the man wrapped his arms around his friend, letting the other feel how hurt and shaken he was. 

“In the last ten years, all I saw was me or him dying. Killed. Over and Over.” Jongdae frowned because he was now seeing just that in his nightmares. “But I always had hope that someday-”

“No,” Kyungsoo pushed him away. “There is no someday. This time, you will die first, because you remembered first.” Jongdae blinked at that information. “Jongdae will have to live a life full of loneliness like you did in your last past life.” Kyungsoo sighed tiredly, “Aren’t you tired of it? Aren’t you tired of losing each other for the past hundred centuries?”

Sehun looked at Kyungsoo for a moment, “No.” Kyungsoo looked quite shocked by that, and so was Jongdae. “Every minute I manage to spend loving Jongdae is worth dying for.” Kyungsoo didn’t say anything more at that, and stormed out of the house. Sehun sat down in the nearest chair, shedding tears as he looked ahead. Jongdae made himself known then, and sat by Sehun’s side. “When did you get here?”

“I’ve been here for a while.” Jongdae admitted as he leaned to pick Sehun’s hand. “Sehun…”

The older pulled his hand away, “We can’t be together now. You are too young, and anything could lead to my death, which I expect will happen soon.” Jongdae pouted as tears welled up in his eyes. Sehun could only sigh at that, closing his eyes. “I want to live long enough to be with you, so please. Go to school, and stop coming here unless I let you know it is safe to.” 

Jongdae ran out as soon as Sehun finished speaking, crying as he ran to his bus stop. He dried his tears and said nothing the entire day, much to his classmates’ shock. He remained with Chanyeol after class to work in the library, and finish his homework, but no matter what Chanyeol said, Jongdae remained silent. “So, did you meet Sehun?”

Jongdae snapped his head and looked at Chanyeol, slapped, “Who?” 

“The Wind guardian of spring. Did you meet him?” Jongdae looked around to see if anyone heard them, and Chanyeol chuckled, “I am a guardian of summer.” Chanyeol’s finger lit up, a fire burning on it, and he smiled.

“What are you doing here? I saw you in my dreams before, you know.” Jongdae hissed at him.

Chanyeol sighed, “Kyungsoo and I were trying to convince you to return home. The tree of life needs us back, Jongdae.” Chanyeol sighed, and looked away. “The only way for you to come back is for you two to give up trying to live a life together.” 

Jongdae didn’t take time to understand, “So I did run away with Sehun.” Chanyeol nodded, “And I have been stuck as a human ever since?” 

“Yes, everytime you get close to Sehun, and remember your past lives, one of you die.” Jongdae looked at him in shock. “And no, it is not the tree of life. She is not so spiteful as to do that. Things just never work out, every single time.” 

“For one hundred centuries,” Jongdae felt tears rush down his cheeks as Chanyeol nodded, “All I have to do is give up, and Sehun and I will go back to being Guardians?” 

“Pretty much,” Chanyeol smiled. “You may be rusty since you haven’t used your powers for such a long time, but yeah, you would still be a Guardian.” He was about to agree but then, what about Sehun? What if they return only to not be able to love each other freely anymore? Sehun was right; the freedom they had to love each other was worth all the trouble. They could love each other regardless of what the world said, regardless of their murders, regardless the hate, and now Jongdae was determined to make it work. “Jongdae?” 

“I guess,” Jongdae smiled widely. “I’ll try one more time.” Chanyeol blinked at him, and chuckled amusedly.

“You really do love each other, don’t you?” Jongdae didn’t know much, but he could feel his love and adoration for Sehun. The more he remembers, the more it clear became. “Well I guess I'll have to leave.” Jongdae blinked at that, and looked at Chanyeol who smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jongdae.” 

Jongdae was confused, but said nothing. It took Sehun and him a week to decide on their next move. “I got offered an internship for a company in Canada. I’m going to take it.” Jongdae held himself back from commenting on Sehun’s announcement, “By the time my internship is over, and I get a proper job, you will be done with your studies, and we can both live together, as a couple.” Sehun smiled shyly, “Gay marriage is legal there, so we can get married.” 

Jongdae’s expression brightened up, “Really? That’s a great idea!” 

“I leave on Monday, if I accept, so this is the last weekend we can spend together.” Sehun held Jongdae’s hand, as sadness washed over them. “I got the offer last week. I’ve taken a considerable amount of time to think it over.” 

“But-” Jongdae held himself from saying more. “I will miss you.” Sehun fished his phone out of his pocket, and handed it over to Jongdae, who looked at Sehun in confusion.

“Add your number. I’ll keep talking to you, and message you all the time.” Sehun reassured, which didn’t truly make Jongdae happier, but it was still better than no contact. He saved his info, and gave it back to Sehun, who smiled to him softly. “Can we go out tomorrow? I want to take you out for lunch, as a date.”

Jongdae blushed. “Sure, I’d love to go with you on a date tomorrow.”

Their Sunday lunch turned out to be a whole afternoon; Sehun spent the entire time buying Jongdae things, from food to clothes. Jongdae had a lot of fun, but the closer they got to returning to his place, the sadder he felt. “I’ll miss you, Sehun.”

“I won’t miss you.” Sehun looked at him with a smirk. “Because you are haunting my heart.” Jongdae cringed from the cheesiness, and stepped back as he waved, unable to say goodbye. Sehun didn’t seem to mind. “My flight is at four in the morning, so I will call you when I’m in Canada.”

“Make sure to take lots of pictures,” Jongdae shouted, despite his threatening sob. Once Sehun walked away, he ran to his room and opened the shutters, shedding tears. “I can’t live without you, Wind spirit.” He didn’t say anything more, laying down under the covers, and waited for Sehun to show up to close the shutters one last time. He never showed up, and Jongdae slept, only to wake up with the windows open.

He had a pretty normal school day, despite his depressive state, until lunch break, when Chanyeol and he were eating. The fire spirit was scrolling through his phone, when he sat straight up suddenly. “Woah, that’s crazy” Jongdae looked up, saying nothing, but Chanyeol still showed him a picture of the plane crash site. “A plane heading from Incheon to Toronto crashed in the Malaysian territories hours ago, everybody on it died.”

Jongdae didn’t think much of it at first but then he realized, just as he was finishing his afternoon classes, that Toronto was in Canada. The plane that crashed was heading to Canada. He started sobbing so loudly the entire class looked at him in shock. “He was in the plane! He was in the plane and he died. Sehun died.”

They let him go home early, realizing that Jongdae meant he lost someone in the crash. He ran to Sehun’s empty house, not even bothering to knock, and sat on the swings, where he broke down, sitting there in agony for hours. The sky soon turned from clear and fine to windy and cloudy as a thunderstorm started forming. His phone had been ringing the entire time but he didn’t care to pick it up. He didn’t care anymore.

“Jongdae?” He looked up at the familiar voice to see Jongdeok. “Jongdae, what are you doing here? Why are you crying?” Jongdae said nothing as he allowed his brother to take him home, and only when he picked up his phone to charge it did he see he all the missed calls and messages from Sehun.

“I missed the plane.” One said.

“Why won’t you pick up?”

“I’m fine. I’m alive. Please tell me where are you.”

“I took the following plane, so I will be boarding in a few hours.”

“Jongdae, they’re saying a huge thunderstorm is starting in Seoul. Please, answer me. I’m fine, I swear.”

Jongdae had never felt so relieved in his entire existence. He was sure of that. He texted Sehun with hope.

“I thought you died. I thought I lost you again.” Jongdae realized the thunder was no longer striking the city, and hoped that the storm was over just like his pain was. “Where are you now?”

“I’m in France.” The comment came back, “I had to take a layover flight from Korea to France then to Canada, since I missed my first one. I heard it crashed, so I tried to let you know I was fine. You didn’t answer.”

“I was at school, then I went to the swings behind your house, where I was crying, so I didn’t check my phone.” Jongdae sniffed with a smile.

“I’m doing okay. Now sleep, and don’t worry. I will text you as soon as I can. Our time zones are totally opposite right now.” Jongdae blinked, and seeing that it was eleven pm for him. “I’ll go eat and get some rest. Good night.”

“Have a nice day.”

They continued like that for three years. Three years in which Jongdae struggled to keep contact with Sehun throughout, his military service, and restrictive laws. By the end of the third year, Jongdae applied for a university in Toronto, not waiting any longer. He didn’t manage to get a full scholarship, but he knew he would do to stay with Sehun.

He didn’t tell Sehun when he was planning to get the ticket and board, hoping to surprise him. He was dying with anxiety and excitement. Will Sehun still love him even though he’s changed? He was no longer the teenage he was when they met, and he felt like he had become far less cute. Will Sehun be happy to see him? Sehun was still willing to have Jongdae in his life, but he told Jongdae to wait until he graduated. Jongdae didn’t have the power to do wait that long.

The flight was long. Jongdae slept almost the entire time, but it didn’t kill his excitement as he took a taxi to the address Sehun shared with him. Jongdae was buzzing in his seat, the entire ride, not caring how expensive it was. He just wanted to be in Sehun’s arms already.

Every step toward the door was filling him with joy, reminding him of every tear he shed, and reminding him that this time, he would finally be with Sehun. Three knocks was all it took for Sehun to open the door, pulling Jongdae into a bone-crushing hug. “You’re here! You’re actually here!” Sehun sounded as happy as Jongdae felt, and just as overwhelmed as he was too. They stood there for what seemed like ages before Jongdae settled in.

Sehun had had a day off, and was planning to video call Jongdae to spend the day looking at him, but Jongdae didn’t pick up every time, which was suspicious. Jongdae was always online. He was fixing dinner when he noticed Jongdae though the window, stepping out of the taxi. He truly thought he was dreaming but he wasn’t.

Jongdae was there, right in front of him, and for once in a thousand years, they were going to be together as a couple, the way they were meant to be. 


End file.
